Machine for applying dry coatings to confections



June 14, 1955 P. w. PARRY ETAL 2,710,583

MACHINE FOR APPLYING DRY COATINGS T0 CONFECTIONS Filed April 10, 1951- 2Sheets-Sheet l mvsmogs 3 PETER W MRRY JOHN MUTE/TH June-14, 1955 P. w.PARRY ETAL MACHINE FOR APPLYING DRY COATINGS T0 CONFECTIONS 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 10 1951 u m w w wmm mm a u w 4 w 5 Z. 9 7 #7a W m a a J mw m M K a Na w /M. a m mw u E P1R w. PARkY JOHN 6. mm!

ATTORNEYS United States Patent MACHINE FOR APPLYING DRY COATINGS TOCDNFECTIONS Peter W. Parry and John G. Monteith, Vancouver, BritishColumbia, Canada Application April 10, 1951, Serial No. 220,234

13 Claims. (Cl. 118-44) This invention relates to machines for applyingdry coatings to confections, such as coated and uncoated ice cream barsand the like. This machine is designed to spray particles of a drycoating material over the surfaces of the confections. Any type of drycoating material may be handled by this machine, such as broken uppeanut brittle, shredded coconut, cookie crumbs, chopped nuts and thelike.

Machines have been designed for applying dry. coatings to confections.The trouble is that the coating material is discharged in all directionswithin a relatively large area in which the confections are located so"that only a small percentage comes into contact with them. This meansthat the material usually is handled many times before it actuallyadheres to the confections. With most of the known machines for thispurpose, the coating material is so pulverized during operation that itcannot satisfactorily coat the confections and cannot be handledproperly. Others again are not adaptable to a production line processand as a result of this, dry coatings are seldom applied, except byhand, and this only on a small scale as it is a slow and costly processas well as being contrary to law in many areas, and there is a largedemand for a machine which will do the job in a satisfactory productionline manner.

The main object of the present invention is the provision of a machinefor applying dry coating material to confections in which the materialis continuously recirculated without being subjected to any pulverizingor great battering action.

Another object is the provision ofa machine for applying an even coatingto confections in a sanitary manmet.

A further object is the provision of a machine having an automatic feedso that the coating material is fed thereto only when it is required.

Yet another object is the provision of a machine for applying drycoating material to ice cream bars without damaging or deforming thebars.

A still further object is the provision of a machine for applying drycoating material to confections that is readily adaptable both to massproduction coating methods or small operations.

In this machine, the particles of coating material are discharged by aspraying rotor directly on to the confections and are not thrown in alldirections, as is done in most of he known machines for this purpose.The material which does not adhere to the confections is gathered up ina gentle manner but in such a way that lumps are. prevented from formingin the material. This gathered material is directed back to the rotor.terial is added in accordance with the demand so that even though themachine may be running without any confections therein, new materialwill not be added until Fresh ma- Figure l is a side elevation of the.machine, partly in section,

Figure 2 is a plan view of the machine,

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken substantially on the line 33 ofFigure l,

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 4-4 ofFigure 2,. and

Figure 5 is an enlarged view, partly in section, of the spraying rotor.

Referring to the drawings, 10 is a casing of anyv desired shape. In thisexample, the casing is cylindrical in form and has a bottom 11. AcontainerIS is, mounted above the bottom of the casing and has a tray.16pro.- jecting outwardly therefrom, see Figures 2 and l, at the level ofthe bottom 17 thereof. A large opening 18 is formed in the bottom 17centrally thereof. This, con: tainer and its tray are supported in thecasing in any suitable manner, such as by means of bars 19 and 20 whichextend across the casing and are secured to the wall thereof.

Suitable means is provided for gathering the coating material inparticle form from the bottom of the casing 18 and directing it throughthe opening 18 into the container i5. This may be accomplished by meansof a coneshaped hub 2d mounted on a shaft 25 which. extends through thebottom of the casing centrally thereof. This hub consists of threesuperimposed discs 28, 29 and 36,. The upper and lower discs 28 and3tlare fixed to the shaft .25, while the middle disc 29 is freely mountedthereon. Each of a plurality of curved stationary arms 34, see Figure 3,is fixedly connected at its outerend at 35 to the casing wall 10, and atits inner end to the disc 29. These arms are spaced fromeach other andextend in a curve from the casing wall to the middle hub. A plurality ofdouble arms 38 extend from the hub 24 in a curve outwardly towards thecasing wall, the outer ends of these double arms terminating short ofthe wall. Each double arm consists of an upper section 39 and a lowersection 45- connected at their inner ends to the discs- 23- and 30,respectively. The double arms sweep outwardly in a curve from theconical hub in the opposite direction,

to the curve of the stationary arms 34. Actually, the arm sections 39and 40 are located'above and below the port 45 carried by the wall ofthe container 15. Thehopper may be adjustable. vertically'in' itssupport, and it may have a discharge opening 47 at its lower end facingtowards the container. An opening 48 is formed in the container wall inline with the hopper opening.-

Suitable means is provided for spraying coating ma terial from thecontainer ls upwardlly in the casing 10. This is accomplished by meansof a spraying IOtOI SZ. This rotor consists of a spoked wheel54 fixedlymounted on a main shaft 55 journalled in and extending through the wallof the casing 10, see Figure 4. Spaced sideplates 57 and 58 are locatedon opposite sides of the wheel and connected thereto by a plurality ofrods 60,

which are secured to the outer ends of the wheel spokes. The plate 57has a relatively large opening 62 formed therein centrally thereofthrough which a tube 63 extends. This tube extends from apoint withinthe rotor through the wall of they container 15 and across the topthereof. The lower portion of a tube is cutvaway as at 64 within thecontainer. A warm 67 is mounted on the main shaft $5 within the tube, 63so. that it, extends across;-

the top of the container and into the rotor.

A plurality of L-shaped buckets are provided for the spraying rotor,each bucket consisting of a base 71 and a wall 72 extending outwardlytherefrom along one edge thereof. Each bucket has a shaft 74 extendingthereacross at the point of juncture of the base 71 and rear wall 72,each shaft being journalled in the side plates 57 and 58 and bent into acurved cam follower 77 at one end thereof. These cam followers ride on aspecial cam disc 78. This disc is freely mounted on the shaft 55 and isprevented from turning in any suitable manner. This may be accomplishedby providing a wall 80 around the tray 16, said wall being connected tothe cam disc and to the bars 19 and 20, see Figure 4.

When the spraying rotor 52 is turned, the cam followers 77 ride alongthe surface of the cam disc 78. Suitable means is provided formaintaining the followers against the cam disc. This may be accomplishedby means of a weight 82 mounted at the outer edge of the base of eachbucket 70. The surface of the cam disc is so designed that in thesection A of a circle, see Figure 5, the bases of the buckets aremaintained in a substantially horizontal position and the buckets openoutwardly from the rotor, at which time they are receiving or scoopingup the coating material. In the section B, the buckets are given a quickflip into an inverted position, during which material therein is thrownoutwardly and upwardly, and in the section C, the buckets are maintainedin an inverted position.

The shafts 25 and 55 may be turned in any convenient manner. In thisexample, the shaft 55 is coupled to a gear head electric motor 85, and asprocket 86 on the shaft is connected by a chain 87 to another sprocket38 mounted on a shaft 89 carried by brackets 90 beneath the bottom onthe casing 10. A bevel pinion 92 on this shaft meshes with a large bevelgear 93 mounted on the shaft 25. With 1 this arrangement, the shaft 55with the rotor 52 and worm 67 are rotated at a low speed, and the shaft25 with the double arms 38 is rotated at a much slower speed.

In this example, the confections are ice cream bars 96 having sticks 97protruding from one end thereof. These bars are moved horizontallythrough the casing 10 near its top in line with the periphery of thespraying rotor 52. This may be done in any convenient manner. One way ofdoing this is to provide spaced tracks 100 extending across the casingabove the rotor upon which stick holders 101 are moved. These stickholders are well known in the trade and do not need to be described indetail here. The sticks 97 extend downwardly'from the holders so thatthe ice cream bars are suspended below the latter. Deflector plates 102may depend from the tracks on opposite sides of the stick holders withinthe casing. If desired, troughs 104 and 105 may be provided on thecasing 10 across from each other and beneath the tracks 100. Thesetroughs have sloping bottoms which are adapted to direct materialfalling therein into the casing 10.

In operation, the coating material is placed in the hopper 44. Thismaterial feeds through the openings 47 and 48 into the container 15. Theworm 67 moves this material through the tube 63 into the interior of thespraying rotor 52 and it drops down on to the buckets 70 at the bottomof the rotor. When passing through the section B of their circular pathof travel, the buckets open outwardly and the material is sprayed orthrown into the air above the rotor and on to the ice cream bars passingacross the top of the casing 10. Some of this material strikes the innersurfaces of the plates 102 and is deflected into the spaces between thebars.

Only a percentage of the coated material adheres to the bars so that theremainder drops down on to the bottom 11 of the casing. The rotatingdouble arms 38 move the material ahead of them, and as the materialcomes into contact with the stationary arms 34, which are curved in theopposite direction to the moving arms, this material is directed towardsthe centre of the machine until it hits the conical hub 24. The movingarms break up any lumps which may form without pulverizing the material.As the material builds up, it works its way up the sides of the coneinto the container 15. Thus, the material is moved back to the containerin a gentle manner where it is ready to be directed into the sprayingrotor. This movement also keeps the material in the container movingupwardly towards the Worm 67. In practice, the material is supplied tothe machine at such a rate as to maintain the level in the container upto the worm therein.

The flow of material from the hopper is controlled by the level in thecontainer since the material flows from the hopper only when thematerial in the container uncovers the feed opening 47. With thisarrangement, there is no flow from the hopper when the material is notbeing applied to the bars. The level in the container is controlled byraising or lowering the hopper.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. Apparatus for spraying particles of a dry coating material on toconfections, such as ice cream bars and the like, comprising a sprayingrotor having a plurality of buckets open outwardly therefrom andarranged around its periphery, each bucket being pivotally mounted onthe rotor, means for supporting confections in radial alignment with andspaced above the periphery of the rotor, means for supplying coatingparticles to the buckets, and tipping means for flipping each bucketduring rotation of the rotor in the direction of said rotation as thebucket moves towards the confections to spray coating particles in agenerally radial direction on to the latter.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which each bucket is L-shaped incross section and has a base and a rear wall, said rear wall preventingcoating particles from falling inwardly of the rotor.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 in which each bucket is pivotallymounted on the rotor at the point of juncture of its base and rear wall.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the tipping means comprisesa cam mounted adjacent the rotor and a cam follower connected to eachbucket riding on the cam, said cam being designed to flip the bucketsover at a predetermined point during rotation of the rotor.

5. Apparatus for spraying particles of a dry coating material on toconfections, such as ice cream bars and the like, comprising a casinghaving a bottom, a horizontal shaft above the casing bottom, means forrotating the shaft, a spraying rotor mounted on the shaft above thecasing bottom, means for supporting confections in the casing spacedabove the bottom thereof and in radial alignment with and spaced fromthe periphery of the rotor,

a plurality of buckets arranged around the rotor periphery and openingoutwardly therefrom for spraying coating material under centrifugalforce on to the confections during rotation of the rotor, and means forcontinuously supplying coating material to the rotor buckets.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 in which each bucket is pivotallymounted on the rotor.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 in which each bucket is L-shaped incross section and consists of a bottom and rear wall, said bucket beingpivotally mounted at the point of juncture of the base and rear wall.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 including means for flipping eachbucket over during rotation of the rotor and as the bucket approachesthe confections.

9. Apparatus for spraying particles of a dry coating material on toconfections, such as ice cream bars and the like, comprising a sprayingrotor, a plurality of buckets having discharge p gs therein pivotallymounted on the rotor and arranged around the periphery thereof, meansfor supporting confections in radial alignment with and spaced above theperiphery of the rotor, means for pivoting the buckets to direct theopenings thereof outwardly from the rotor when said buckets are awayfrom the confections, feeding means for directing coating particles tothe buckets as they open outwardly, and tipping means for flipping eachbucket in the direction of rotation of the rotor as said bucket movestowards the confections to spray coating particles in a generally radialdirection on to the latter.

10. Apparatus for spraying particles of a dry coating material on toconfections, such as ice cream bars and the like, comprising a sprayingrotor having spaced side plates, a plurality of shafts carried by theplates arranged around the axis of the rotor parallel therewith, an openbucket mounted on each shaft, said buckets being swingable relative tothe rotor side plates, means for rotating the rotor, means forsupporting confections in radial alignment with and spaced above theperiphery of the rotor plates, means for pivoting the buckets to directthe openings thereof outwardly from the rotor when said buckets are awayfrom the confections, feeding means for directing coating particlesbetween the plates to the buckets as they open outwardly, and tippingmeans for flipping each bucket in the direction of rotation of the rotoras said bucket moves towards the confections to spray coating particlesin a generally radial direction on to the latter.

11. Apparatus for spraying particles of a dry coating material on toconfections, such as ice cream bars and the like, comprising a sprayingrotor having spaced side plates, a plurality of shafts carried by theplates arranged around the axis of the rotor parallel therewith, an L-shaped bucket mounted on each shaft, each of said buckets having asubstantially flat base, said buckets being swingable relative to therotor side plates, means for rotating the rotor, means for supportingconfections above the rotor in radial alignment therewith and spacedfrom the periphery of the rotor plates, means for pivoting the bucketsinto positions with the bases thereof arranged substantially radially ofthe rotor when said buckets are away from the confections, feeding meansfor directing coating particles between the plates on to the bases ofthe buckets as said bases move with the radial positions, and tippingmeans for flipping each bucket upwardly in the direction of rotation ofthe rotor as said bucket moves towards the confections to spray coatingparticles in a generally radial direction on to the latter.

12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 11 in which each bucket is fixed toits shaft and the latter is journalled in the rotor side plates, and thetipping means comprises a cam mounted adjacent the rotor, and a camfollower connected to each shaft outside the rotor riding on the cam,said cam being shaped to flip the buckets in the direction of rotationas they approach the confections.

13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 11 in which each bucket is fixed toits shaft at the inner edge of the base thereof and the shaft isjournalled in the rotor sides, and the tipping means comprises a camdisc mounted adjacent the rotor, a cam follower connected to each shaftoutside the rotor riding on the cam surface, said surface being shapedto flip the buckets over in the direction of rotation as they approachthe confections, and a weight near the outer edge of each bucket base toretain the follower thereof against the cam surface.

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